Bullies,sons, and surrogate  fathers
by Robin Redbird
Summary: In a joint operation with the FBI,Tim becomes the target of bullies.What does he do when Gibbs turns his back on him?
1. Chapter 1

**OKAY. I SO KNOW THAT I HAVE NO BUSINESS POSTING ANOTHER STORY WHEN I ALREADY HAVE ONE THAT ISN'T FINISHED, BUT THIS JUST WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE. LIKE WITH MY OTHER STORY, I'LL LET THE READERS DECIDE IF THIS IS WORTH CONTINUEING. **

_**-NCIS-**_

"Oh, Tim." Sarah McGee said as she gently dabbed at the cut on her brothers' tempLe with the wet, royal blue dish towel. "You're going to Gibbs about this, aren't you?"

Tim McGee pushed his well-meaning sister away and stood up form his dark oak table to move to his refrigerator and take out a cold bottle of water. "And tell him what, Sarah?" He asked harshly as he twisted the top off his water. "That the FBI is picking on me?" Tim took a drink of his water, wincing slightly when the bottle hit his split, swollen lip.

"This has gone beyond just picking on you, Tim!" Sarah argued, placing her tanned, manicured hands on her slim, black, denim covered hips. "This is assault!"

Tim closed his brilliant, emerald colored eyes and leaned gingerly against his kitchen counter, resting his head back against the royal blue painted wood of his cabinets. "Sarah..."

"Please, Tim. They're escalating." Sarah paused. "I'm afraid for you." She finished softly.

Tim felt guilt swamp him for worrying his sister. "Sarah..." He started again quietly.

"You have to go to Agent Gibbs!"

Tim raised his head and opened his emerald green eyes to look into his sister's chocolate colored ones. "He already knows, Sis." Tim reluctantly admitted. He knew it would do no good to lie to his sister. He was a bad liar and Sarah would just badger him until he told her.

Sarah felt as if all the breath had been knocked from her body. "He does?" She asked in a strangled voice.

Tim looked away from his sister's pretty face, not wanting to see disillusionment cloud her beautiful chocolate eyes. Ever since Gibbs had helped them out a few years ago when Sarah had been involved with one of their cases, his sister had put Gibbs on a pedestal. It hurt him to have to tell his sister that Gibbs was just like everyone else in their lives.

"Yeah." He admitted bitterly. "I went to him three months ago when this all started."Tim shuddered when he remembered his conversation with the older man. "He told me that none of them liked having to work on this joint operation with the FBI but I was the only way one who was making waves. He told me in no uncertain terms to stop complaining and do my job."

Sarah felt tears sting her eyes. She knew how those words must have hurt her brother. She could remember their father saying words to that effect when Tim had went to him about being bullied as a boy. _**'We all have to put up with things like this in this life,boy, so stop whining like a little bitch and make nice!'**_ Sarah shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Tim." She whispered, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes.

Tim laughed bitterly and pushed off from the counter, immediately regretting the action when he felt a wave of pain from his sore ribs. "I guess I should be used to this by now." He said on a hiss of pain.

Sarah watched her brother, unsure of what to do; how to help. "It's not something you should have to get used to, Tim!" Sarah exclaimed after a minuter, feeling anger that her brother would believe that he deserved to be treated this way.

Tim didn't say anything, just walked painfully past his sister, pausing in the archway. "I'm tired, Sis. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed." He said, signaling that the conversation was over.

Sarah started, surprised. "Don't you want something to eat? You haven't had supper yet."

Tim remembered his hunger from earlier that evening, looking forward to his sister's lasagna and garlic bread, especially since his lunch had been ruined by his FBI 'friends'. "I've lost my appetite." He said. It was true. Tim was hurting to bad from the latest prank his FBI counterparts had pulled on him to be able to eat, though how anyone could consider hiding in a stairwell and tripping Tim so that he took a header down a flight of stairs _**funny**_, he didn't know.

"Are you sure,Tim?" Sarah asked hesitantly, not wanting her brother to go to bed hungry,even though he had many times when they were little. They both had. Not because there wasn't enough money for food. Their parents had had plenty of money, with their dad being in the navy. No one just hadn't cared whether or not they ate.

"Positive." Tim answered, starting his slow painful walk again only to stop once more when he made it into his living room to find his faithful companion waiting patiently by the door with his leash in his mouth in anticipation for his evening walk. Tim closed his eyes and groaned. He so did _**not**_ feel like being dragged around the block by Jethro tonight.

"I'll take him,Tim." Sarah offered from beside him, wanting to help her brother in any way she could.

Tim debated silently for a moment before shaking his head. "No. You know that I don't like you walking Jethro after dark."

"It's alright. I"ll stay close by and use the street lights. Besides, do you honestly think anyone is going to get anywhere near me when Jethro's with me?"

Tim's full lips turned up at the corners. "Point taken." Tim shook his head again. "I still don't like it." He said uneasily.

"It will be fine, big brother." Sarah said encouragingly. "You just take your shower and get into bed. I'll bring you some more pain meds and another water when I get back." Sarah told him, already slipping on a light,black, button up sweater over her pretty dark purple microfiber top, to help ward off the cool September night. "I'll put the food in the fridge for tomorrow night, okay?"

Tim nodded and started his stumble to his bedroom. "That's fine. Call a cab to take you back to your dorm,okay? Take some money out of the kitty." He didn't wait for his sister's response, knowing that his instructions would be obeyed. "Wait until you see the cab pull up before leaving this apartment and lock the door behind you,please."

Sarah bent down, clipping the leash to Jethro's collar. She had no intention of leaving her brother tonight but she knew if she told Tim she was staying he would insist in using the sleeping bag. Sarah let her self out of the apartment with the large dog, her concern for Tim coming back full force. He could have been seriously hurt this time. She couldn't understand how anyone could think that hurting her brother was _**funny**_. She also couldn't understand why no one seemed to care.

_**-NCIS-**_

**LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! **


	2. Chapter 2

_**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**_

_**THANKS FOR ALL THE FAVORITES,STORY ALERTS, REVIEWS AND FOR READING**_

_**-NCIS-**_

Tim groaned as he sat up to turn off his alarm, pulling on his bruised and aching ribs and sending pain vibrating through his body.

"Easy there, big brother." The softly spoken voice of his sister said.

He was thankful for the quiet tone. His head was splitting. Tim opened his eyes to see his sister standing beside his king sized bed, wearing a pair of soft cotton, aqua colored pajama pants and matching t-shirt, feet stuffed into a pair of aqua house shoes a shade lighter then her pj's, her wavy, chocolate colored hair twisted up in a messy bun. He wasn't really surprised to see her there, knowing her stubbornness rather well. Tim perked up when he noticed the royal blue mug in one soft, tanned hand and a familiar red and white bottle in the other.

"Thanks, Sis." Tim said gratefully, reaching for the delicious smelling coffee. He winced when a shaft of bright sunlight shone in through the caramel blinds of his bedroom window, right in his dull, emerald eyes, making his head throb.

"Headache?" Sarah inquired softly, shaking three of the pain relievers out and handing the round, red and white extra strength gel caps to her brother.

Tim grunted an affirmative and pushed the brown and white patterned sheet away as he straightened, reaching for the bottle of water that sat on a light brown coaster on his heavy dark pine night table to wash down the pain pills.

Sarah recapped the medicine bottle and reached a hand out to push her brother's sandy colored hair away to get a better look at the cut on his temple. "I still think you should have went to the hospital, Tim."

"It's fine, Sarah. I'm fine." Tim pulled away from his sister and stood up in his black and gray plaid pajama pants and loose black t-shirt, hissing in pain when he reached his full 6'1 height.

"You're not 'fine'!" Sarah argued, wincing in sympathy.

"I'm not going to the hospital, Sarah." Tim said back, already knowing what she was getting at. Tim took a drink of his coffee and sat the cup down on his heavy dsrk pine, mirrored dresser, flinching when he saw the big, dark purple bruise surrounding the gash on his forehead and the angry looking cut on his swollen lower lip._**'There was no way he could hide this'**_ Tim thought,his brilliant mind already working out what he would say if anyone asked. It was simple really. He fell down the stairs. It _**was**_ the truth—to an extent. Tim would just leave out the part about having _**help. **_

Sarah rolled her expressive, chocolate brown eyes and sighed. She knew it would do no good to argue with her hard-headed older brother, being well acquainted with his mule stubbornness. "Then will you at least talk to Agent Gibbs again?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"Sarah..." Tim said, shaking his head and moving to his closet.

"I know you said that you have already tried talking to him," Sarah said,interrupting him. "but maybe he didn't understand or—or something." She finished lamely, already knowing that even if he had misunderstood it still didn't excuse him. Tim had gone to Gibbs for help—that should have been enough. The fact that her brother wasn't really a complainer and got along with absolutely _**everyone,**_ combined with Tim's request should have sent the infamous Gibbs gut into overdrive. That it hadn't made anger burn in her brightly.

"I'm not going to Gibbs again." Tim stated as he pulled out the nicest suit he owned, a beautifully cut, light weight black Armani that went well with his pale complexion and light colored hair. His hand passed over the white dress shirt that he usually wore with it and settled on a expensive silk shirt that was the same emerald green of his eyes. It had been a birthday present from Sarah. He had never worn it, the shirt having sat in his closet for close to a year, but he felt the need of it today. After the last three months he needed the reminder that someone cared about him. He needed the reminder that someone loved him. He pulled it out and it to his sister, along with his suit, picked out a black silk tie and then bent down to get a pair of shiny black dress shoes—or at least he tried to. What actually happened was he forgot about his sore ribs and when he tried to get his shoes a sharp ache pierced him and he ended up doubled over gasping for breath.

"Tim!" Sarah exclaimed and rushed to her brother's side.

"Fine..Jus'... give... me... minute,..'kay?" He managed to ground out, trying to force breath into his lungs.

"I'm calling an ambulance!" Sarah exclaimed, turning to leave the room to get the cordless in the kitchen.

"NO!" Tim managed to yell, stopping her in her tracks.

Sarah pressed her lips together angrily.

"I've just got to take it easy, is all." Tim said, the sharp pain having faded to a dull throb.

"You can't be seriously considering going into work,Tim!" Sarah exclaimed. "You can barely move!"

"I'm going into work, Sarah." Tim said grimly. "I'm not going to give _**them**_ the satisfaction of knowing that they chased me away!"

_**-NCIS-**_

An hour and a half later, after a filling breakfast lovingly cooked by his sister, Tim carefully sat his pack under his desk, then gingerly sat down in his black desk chair and breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to be sitting down, not moving around with his sore ribs, not to mention he felt a little light headed. He hadn't even been able to drive this morning, having to let his sister drive his car, something that he hadn't liked,_**at all,**_ but he was determined to do his job, just as Gibbs had ordered him to do. Tim also didn't want to have to deal with Gibbs if he did call in,but he hadn't wanted to tell his sister that. He wouldn't put it past her to try and confront Gibbs. Tim shuddered. Yeah, that would look real good—having his little sister fight his battles for him. It was bad now, Tim couldn't even imagine what it would be like if that happened.

He shook his head, thinking about the day this building had become his own, personal hell. Tim had gone to Gibbs immediately, remembering that the Team leader had always told them that they could go to him for anything. The older man's words still stung. To Tim, it had sounded like all Gibbs thought he did was bitch, moan and slack off. That was what bothered him the most; oh, it had hurt when Gibbs had refused to listen to him about Agent Donnelly and Agent Harris, but when he had told Tim to do his _**job**_... to make it sound like he didn't pull his weight...That was what brought a sharp pain to his chest whenever he thought about those words. Because Tim always,_**always, **_did the best job he could for his boss. Always gave a hundred and ten percent, _**always **_worked longer and harder then anyone else.

He tried so hard to make Gibbs proud of him. He never wanted to give Gibbs cause to regret picking him for his team. In Tim's heart of hearts, in the place deep inside him where he barely dared to dream at all, the dream that Tim kept closest to his heart, was the dream that by working hard and doing a good job, Gibbs would make him and, by extension, Sarah,a part of his family as he had the rest of the team. Tim and Sarah had spent their whole, entire lives on the outside looking in. Destined forever,to be only observers of the happy families around them. Just once, Tim wished that he and Sarah could know what it was like to be a part of one of those happy families. Just once Tim wished he could know what it was like to be actually _**wanted. **_To be more then just _**barely**_ tolerated. To be more then just an accident, an mistake, a _**regret**_. To be more then an after thought or obligation. More then a spare tire.


	3. Chapter 3

_**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. IT'S STILL SHORT BUT THEY WILL GET LONGER.**_

_**-NCIS-**_

Tim sighed and slowly sat up, pushing his disturbing thoughts away. When the pain from moving had subsided, he reached out and turned his computers on, hoping to get some work done before anyone could come in and 'help' him. Tim gave a shudder when he thought about last night and the 'help' Agent Donnelly and Agent Harris had given him down the stairs. He made a mental note to either walk out with someone or check thoroughly before getting in the elevator or going into the stairwell.

Tim typed a command on the black keyboard, starting up the programs that he would need to complete the tasks he had been given for today. The only good thing he could find about working on this assignment with the FBI was the software and computer set-up he got to work with. Fast,start of the art equipment that wasn't available to NCIS.

Tim worked steadily for the next hour, becoming more uneasy as the time went by and it crept closer to the beginning of the work day. He was unable to completely lose his self in his work like he usually would, having to be on high alert to ward off any unpleasantness,even though, sometimes, like last night, that really didn't help.

Tim settled back in his chair, taking the pressure off his aching ribs, wearily rubbing his eyes. He was beginning to think that coming into work was not his brightest idea. The later it got the more he wanted to go home and pull his comforter over his head and sleep the day away.

But he knew wasn't possible just as he knew that his troubles would still be here when he came back.

Tim heard the elevator ding then and out walked former Mossad officer turned NCIS agent, Ziva David, the most efficiently lethal woman he had ever known. She was dressed in a comfortable yet totally nondescript outfit of army green cargo pants, a form flattering kelly green short sleeve scoop neck top, and a pair of lace up black boots. Her wavy raven hair was pulled away from her exotic features in a tight ponytail, her inquisitive earth colored eyes moving discretely around, noticing everything while seemingly looking at nothing.

A slight feeling of regret pierced Tim. They had started out as firm friends, but somehow that had changed and he couldn't pinpoint when that had happened. Or even _**why **_it had happened. They were partners and casual friends but the closeness that they had once shared, the same closeness he shared with Sarah, wasn't there anymore and he missed it. Maybe if it had been, Tim would have felt comfortable in asking Ziva's advice in how to handle this situation that he found his self in, but as things stood now, he just didn't.

Ziva dropped her pack at her desk,sat down in her chair, starting her computer and secured her weapon in its drawer. "You had a good dinner with your sister last night,yes?" She asked Tim as she waited for her computer to boot up. She had over heard the conversation with Sarah the day before yesterday, and could remember how much he had been looking forward to the weekly ritual after having to cancel the previous three weeks because of this current case. Although it had past long ago, there had been a time when the rest of the team would have been asked to join them; the team had never accepted the invitation, not wanting to intrude on the brother and sisters family time, but it had warmed her heart that Tim would think to include her in something so special. Their relationship had been what she wished her relationship with her own brother could have been like, if Ari had been a good person.

Tim grunted and turned slightly in his chair, trying to hide as long as possible, and started to type on his keyboard.

Ziva stared at her partner wistfully. They did not talk as they once had, trading jokes and sharing tidbits of their lives. Something had changed. She wasn't sure when it had changed or even why it had changed, but changed it had. Tim had withdrawn, not only from her but from the whole team, becoming quieter as the days passed, until he hardly said anything anymore. She didn't like it. It really and truly saddened her because she missed her friend.

Senior Field Agent and Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo noticed the expression on Ziva's face from his vantage point around the partition and a concerned look of his own crossed his face. He knew that Ziva was worried about their partner. So was he. Things had changed between them and he wasn't happy about it. It seemed that from the very first, they had been close, almost what Tony imagined brothers to be. Tony stepping into the role of annoying but protective older brother, looking out for his sensitive younger brother—a place that McGee had fallen into perfectly—who was equaling annoying, but needed the protection from the people that would take advantage of his good heart and kind soul. Tony remembered a line from a t.v show he had seen once. He couldn't remember the name of the show now and would deny that he had ever seen it if asked, but there had been brothers on it and the Mom had told the older brother:_**'You're his brother. It's your job to make sure that he doesn't buy any bridges or trade a cow for magic beans'**_ So that's what Tony did. He looked out for his brother. It was okay for Tony to sell him a bridge or trade him some magic beans but Tony was damned if he'd let anyone else do it.

Tony sighed as he stepped around the partition moved to his own desk and put his stuff away. He missed what they had had. He missed the easy camaraderie,the laughter and the way they traded insults. He even missed the envy and petty jealousies they sometimes felt. Tony simply missed his _**brother**_... and he wanted him back.

Ziva looked away from her computer screen to see her chestnut haired partner arrive, dressed to impress in a silvery gray suit, white dress shirt, gray silk tie and a pair of polished black boots.

He looked up then and she could see the same worry she felt mirrored in his leaf-green eyes.

She was glad that someone else had noticed that all was not right with McGee. The case had to come first but when it was over, perhaps her and Tony could find what had gone so wrong with their friend and brother.

_**-NCIS-**_

Gibbs stormed out of the director's office more annoyed then he could ever remember being before. He hated this. He hated having to work this case, even though he knew that his team was the best equipped to work it. He hated that they couldn't seem to pull evidence out the air like they usually did. He hated having to put up with the arrogant asses that had been sent by the FBI. Fornell and Sacks were bad enough, but those other two... Gibbs shook his head. Even McGee didn't get along with them and that was saying something. McGee got along with everyone. When the time came Gibbs would take great pleasure in booting them out the front door. If it wasn't for the internet predator that they were tracking, he'd done it long ago and damn the consequences. Thinking about the sick bastard they were trying to trace filled him with anger. _**'Three months! Three months his team had been on this and they were no closer then when they had started!'**_ Gibbs thought as he stomped down the stairs toward the bullpen. The things this man did to the twelve victims so far, four marine dependents, truly sickened him. He thought he had seen everything there was to see, but what that bastard had put those kids through before he finally killed them...He shook his head again. There was a special place in hell for people like that, and Gibbs would be more then happy to send him there.

He rounded the corner of the partition that led into the bullpen and stopped, pleased to see his team already hard at work. They had really pulled it together, sucking it up with the FBI team and working hard to catch this guy. He would be glad when this case was over, and not only because a pedophile would be off the streets or because he could get rid of Fornell and his team, because things could return to normal. Things had changed since this case had started and he didn't like the changes. Gone was DiNozzo's incessant movie references, gone was Ziva's instructional on how to kill with office equipment, gone was McGee's 'geek speak', as DiNozzo called it, and he missed it. He missed the insults, the older 'brother' pranks, the competitions to see who could out do the other. Gibbs missed the laughter, the ease of familiarity, the sense of family. Yes, things had changed, and not for the better. His cold blue gaze traveled to each of them, before settling on his youngest,his ice blue eyes narrowing. And it had all started with McGee.

_**-NCIS-**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! **_

_**-NCIS-**_

Gibbs walked to his desk, trying to observe his 'geek' unobtrusively out of the corner of his eye. He raised one silver eyebrow and frowned when he noticed that his youngest agent had yet to show his face. The way he was hunched over, McGee was faced away from everyone, turned toward the gray colored partition with the purple stripe. He was doing that a lot lately. Hiding. That was the only word that Gibbs could use to describe it. It was like he didn't want to be seen. McGee had pulled away from all of them. He didn't even eat with them anymore, preferring to brown bag it at his desk then going to a restaurant when work permitted. He spent most of his day at the new computer setup,even when he didn't have to, he was there, constantly staring at the monitors or typing commands on the keyboard, doing whatever it was that he did, shoulders hunched, not looking at anyone, only speaking when he had to. Gibbs froze in the middle of securing his weapon, just then realizing that there was some days that his youngest boy didn't say a word—at least not when he was around, anyway. He also realized that he missed the sound of his boy's voice—and McGee was his boy, even though Gibbs made sure to keep a distance between them. He was well aware that McGee had a father and Gibbs would never get in the way of a father and a child.

Gibbs missed the way the younger man would babble constantly about the next knew tech thing or some comic book that he had just acquired. Gibbs missed the way McGee talked about his sister, telling anyone who would listen more then they ever wanted to know about the young woman's many, many accomplishments. But most of all he missed the sound of McGee's laughter. No matter how hard a case was, no matter how much the world seemed to be against them, no matter how much depravity they saw, there was just something about his youngest boy's laughter that warmed him. Gibbs would never admit it, didn't even like to _**think**_ about it, because thinking about his daughter still hurt, even after all these years, but Kelly's laughter used to warm him the same way.

Gibbs finished locking his weapon away and sat down in his desk chair. He couldn't put his finger on exactly when everything had changed. It just seemed that he had come in one morning and things were like they were now. Had it been so gradual that he just hadn't noticed? Or had it really happened overnight? He just couldn't understand what had happened in his youngest agents life to cause such a drastic change. This case had hit them all hard but they've worked cases with children before, even if they had never worked one _**quite**_ like this. Gibbs reached out and booted up the computer that he always had on but hardly ever actually used.

He would get to the bottom of this, just as soon as this case was over, Gibbs thought as he opened the case file the FBI had sent over when this case had started. He intended to read it again, try to find something he missed, even though he had read it so many times he knew it forward and backward. Gibbs felt a churning in his stomach, and a uneasiness different from the one he had about this case came over him. Why did he suddenly feel that if he waited, it might be too late?

Ziva hung her phone after disconnecting with the latest lead she had been trying to track down, taking the opportunity to get some work done before their FBI counterparts got there in an hour. She saw the pause before Gibbs continued to his desk, and it made her wonder. Ziva had noticed the looks that McGee had sent Gibbs way when he thought no one was looking. She didn't need her Mossad training to see the flicker of hurt or the barely concealed betrayal that flashed in his eyes sometimes. Ziva had just thought McGee was unhappy with the task of working with the FBI, as they all were. She knew that the two new Agents that they were working with was giving Tim a hard time and she also knew that he had complained to Gibbs, as he had to Tony and her. She didn't know what had been said, but she had believed that everything had been taken care of because Tim had said nothing else about it. But now she wondered if that was all that was going on with her friend.

Tony looked up as Gibbs sat down. His quick gaze took in his light brown cotton slacks, blue cotton polo shirt and navy blue sorts coat. He also didn't miss the covert glances that Gibbs was sending his Probie and felt relief when he noticed the concern in those cold blue eyes. But worry came over him too, as he realized that for Gibbs to be concerned that something was wrong, then things must be worse then he thought.

_**-NCIS-**_

Sarah walked through the doors of the NCIS building, an hour and half after leaving her brother there in apprehension. She knew that she shouldn't be there. She knew that Tim would not welcome her checking up on him but she just couldn't leave everything like it was. Tim had looked so forlorn when she had dropped him off that morning, an hour before the workday. He had looked so... so..._**alone**_... shuffling into the building, and Sarah needed him to know that he most assuredly **_wasn't _**alone. She needed him to know that no matter what, Tim would always have her.

Sarah finished the sign in procedure and followed the escort into the elevator, her black flats quiet on the carpeted walkway. She didn't know why none of her brother's team mates wouldn't put a stop to her brother's torture, but she knew that even if they wouldn't stop, they surely shouldn't _**condone**_ it. Anger filled her. Anger at grown men who acted more like teenage boys. Anger at Gibbs for not helping her brother when he asked for help—an occurrence that didn't happen with enough regularity for it to be routine. Anger at his co-workers for being so...**_uncaring..._** about a man who would never be uncaring about them. And, yes, anger at her brother, also, for not sticking up for himself. But she knew why he didn't. Tim had had the ability to fight back taken out of him long ago. Tim had no trouble standing up for anyone else, but people had cleaned him out of spine and spirit so long ago that he knew no other way now. A person had to know their own worth to know how to fight back for themselves , and Tim had never been taught that.

The elevator doors opened and she stepped nervously out of them. She hoped that her slim black knee-length skirt and red, short-sleeve silk blouse was okay. She didn't want to embarrass Tim by showing up to his work appearing frumpy, but she also didn't want to be overdressed.

Tony looked up when the elevator dinged and watched as a familiar chocolate haired young woman got off. He waved his hand at her escort to let him know that he had her and stood up as she came close, intending to call out to McGee but stopped, startled when he saw her looking at Gibbs with a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and anger in her eyes that he didn't understand. A bad feeling came over him as he wondered what had caused that look in his Probie's sisters' eyes.

Tony came out his daze. "Hey, McGee, you've got a visitor." Tony said, coming around his desk to greet the young woman. Tony was naturally a curious person. Since becoming a cop and having a badge to back up his inquisitiveness, he had lost all since of boundary and many times stuck his nose into his friends' personal business. They would never tell him, but even though it drove his team crazy sometimes, Tony's nosiness was just a part of who he was and they wouldn't want him to change it because if he did then he wouldn't be _**their**_ Tony.

Tony intended to stick his nose where it didn't belong again and question his Probie's sister. He hoped that Sarah could shed some light on what was going on with her brother.

He didn't expect McGee to be so engrossed in whatever it was that he was doing that he would jump up at Tony's voice and then let out a loud pain-filled groan and fall back in his chair, making another gasp as he connected with his black desk chair. "Tim!" Tony said, hurrying to his partner's side.

Sarah heard her brother's pain-filled sound and rushed to where he sat doubled over. "Tim!" She exclaimed, reaching his side shortly after Tony; Ziva and Gibbs joining them not even a second later.

"S'ah?" Tim managed to get out between gasps, surprised that she was there.

Sarah carefully laid a hand on his shoulder, unsure what to say or do. "Yeah."

"What's wrong?" Tony asked, Gibbs and Ziva echoing the question.

Tim found that he couldn't answer after saying his sister's name, the pain that radiated through his battered body taking his breath so that all he could manage was to concentrate on forcing air into his lungs.

"It's his ribs. Tim has at the very least bruised them." Sarah answered for her brother, her anger renewing. "One or more may be cracked or even broken."

Tim's head shot up and the rest of team Gibbs were shocked when they saw the damage done to his face. Gibbs reached out and to brush away his sandy hair so that he could inspect the cut that was visible at his temple. He dropped his hand quickly when McGee flinched violently away, causing him to gasp again as he struggled to breath through the pain.

"McGee?" Gibbs questioned softly, wondering why his youngest had jerked away from his touch like that. Almost as if McGee was..._**afraid**_... of him?

Sarah noticed Tim jerk away from Gibbs out-stretched hand and knew that her brother was afraid that Gibbs would take the opportunity to poke at his injury and hurt him as their father used to.

"What happened?" Gibbs bit out tersely, his concern coming off as anger.

Tim's emerald green eyes flew to his sister's in panic. It was anyone's guess what she would say and he didn't want to get called out for complaining again when Gibbs was already mad. He looked in his sister's deep chocolate colored eyes and silently begged her not to say anything while he struggled to breath.

Sarah saw the look in Tim's eyes and debated silently for a minute as she stood there. "He tripped." She said finally, giving her brother what he wanted.

"Tripped?" Gibbs echoed.

"Tripped." Sarah confirmed.

"Tr'ped." Tim mumbled. "F'll...d'wn...s'airs."

"You tripped and fell down the stairs?" He repeated incredulously.

Both McGees nodded.

Gibbs looked at McGee in concern. The younger man's clumsiness was well-known. McGee was always bumping into, knocking over or tripping on something. So why did he have a feeling that there was a lot more that wasn't being said?

Tony and Ziva, who had remained quiet since their earlier question, shared a look of their own. They had noticed the look between brother and sister and wondered at it. Why would McGee panic at answering how he got hurt and why did it seem that Sarah, while not lying, wasn't being completely truthful, either?

"What did the doctor say?" Gibbs asked and immediately became worried when both McGees froze. "Well?" He prodded and glared at them when they didn't say anything.

"He wouldn't go to the doctor!" Sarah blurted out when confronted with the famous Gibbs glare. "I tried to get him to go last night and this morning I wanted to call an ambulance because he hurt his ribs just like now and couldn't breath!"

Gibbs stared at McGee in disbelief. "You might have cracked or broken ribs and you didn't go to a doctor?" He asked in a calmly lethal tone. "Not to mention your head." Gibbs added, looking at the big dark purple bruise on his agents forehead.

"Don't need a doctor." Tim said stubbornly, still using as least amount of words as possible.

Gibbs just glared at him. "Go see Ducky." Gibbs bit out. "_**NOW!**_" He added when his agent just sat there.

Tim saw the glare and heard the anger in Gibbs voice, and, for some reason it made him bristle. "I am more then capable of finding my own doctor, if I find I need one, Gibbs." He bit out.

"Obviously not!"

The anger and loud tone caused Sarah to flinch. Tim reached up to the hand that sat on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm going to walk my sister out and then I'm going to come back here and do my job." Tim said as he struggled to his feet. "I don't need a _**doctor!**_"

Tony and Ziva exchanged another look, surprised. They had never heard Tim argue with their boss or even use that tone of voice with him.

Something about the way McGee said '_**do my job**_' sent a tingle of awareness down Gibbs spine. It triggered a slight DE Ja Vu feeling but for the life of him, he couldn't bring the memory up. He put it away and concentrated on his agent. "You go see Ducky and get cleared for duty or I'll bench you!" He said, putting an end to anymore argument.

The harsh words sent a stab of pain through his chest. He knew it was irrational, but it felt like Gibbs was saying he was to much trouble and was trying to get rid of him. He shook his head, trying to get his head right. He didn't know why he was so emotional today but he needed to stop taking everything to heart. "Fine!" He said grudgingly and started to the elevators in a slow shuffle without another word. "Come on, Sarah." He called over his shoulder.

_**-NCIS-**_

_**FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW MY OTHER STORY: I WILL POST ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR THAT SUNDAY.**_

_**AFTER THAT THE NEXT ONE TO BE UPDATED IS THIS AND THAT WILL BE ON TUESDAY.**_

_**AFTER TUESDAY, I AM GOING TO TRY TO UPDATE ONE OR THE OTHER EVERYDAY.**_

_**I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WILL WORK OUT, I'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, STORY ALERTS AND FAVORITES! I AM SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T ANSWERED ALL THE REVIEWS BUT I WILL BECAUSE I AM THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERYONE THAT I GET!**_

_**I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED ANY OF MY STORIES! I FRACTURED MY WRIST AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TYPE MUCH.**_

_**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**_

_**-NCIS-**_

Tim waited for the doors to the elevator to close before he—carefully—turned to his sister. "What are you doing here, Sarah?" He exclaimed.

Sarah blew out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and leaned back against the brown panel of the elevator wall. "Is he always like that?" She asked in a small voice, completely ignoring Tim's outburst. Gibbs anger had reminded her to much of her father's—his words, while not really hurtful, had still reminded her of her father's cruel and biting ways, the way he sometimes used words and his tone like weapons, using them to cut and wound as surely as he could with a gun or knife.

Tim sighed. "Pretty much."

Sarah shuddered. "How do you put up with it?"

Tim shrugged. "I've put up with worse." He said on a wince. Why did he keep doing that?

Sarah just nodded as the doors opened and they slowly stepped out. She knew that he had put up with worse. A lot worse.

"Why are you here, Sarah?" Tim asked, repeating his question as they walked the short distance to autopsy.

Sarah held up a brown bag that Tim hadn't noticed before. "You didn't pack a lunch and I knew you wouldn't be able to go anywhere so I packed one up for you."

Tim was touched by his sister's thoughtfulness. He just didn't have the heart to tell her that he had decided to stop bringing his lunch because he was tired of wasting good food. Agent Donnelly and Agent Harris almost always found a way to ruin it. "Thanks, Sis. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Sarah insisted.

Tim felt a smile come on his face. Sarah very rarely tried to take care of him. Other then the occasional meal, walking Jethro, and doctoring his cuts and bruises once in a while, she never stepped into the role of caretaker. He knew she loved him, but Sarah was used to him shouldering the burdens and liked it that way. It scared her when he was the one who needed to be cared for. She didn't even like to think that there was even a possibility that something could happen to him. That was why Tim let her believe that his work was more in the office then in the field. He loved his sister and if it eased her mind to believe that he spent his days chasing lines of code, then chasing the bad guys, where was the harm in that? Besides, it wasn't as if that wasn't true. He did spend more time then he wanted left behind. He was the computer genius, after all.

Donald 'Ducky' Mallard looked up when the doors to autopsy opened and a very pretty young woman in a knee-length black skirt, red silk blouse and black ballet flats walked in with Timothy McGee. He was surprised to see him. He hadn't seen much of the young man over the last little bit. Something seemed to be bothering the lad and whatever the problem was, Timothy was keeping it close to his chest. "Good morning, Timothy." He said with a smile, reaching to adjust his glasses. "Hello, Sarah, it's nice to meet you. Your brother speaks of you often." He recognized the young woman as Timothy's sister from the pictures that he had shown Ducky on more than one occasion. Timothy was very proud of Sarah's accomplishments and never missed the opportunity to brag about her.

Ducky gasped and was across the room in a second when he noticed the wound on Tim's head and his slow, pain-filled gait. For an older man, he moved fast. "My word,Timothy! What have you done to yourself now!" He came to a stop in front of the young man in question, raising an eyebrow when Timothy took a step back.

Ducky's words, so similar in nature to what one of his parents would have said, made Tim feel very small. His face flushed red and his eyes dropped to the floor.

The way that Ducky had phrased his question made Sarah bristle. "He hasn't done anything to himself, Dr. Mallard!" She said angrily, brown eyes flashing. "He—''

"I tripped, Ducky." Tim cut in before Sarah could get going. "Gibbs said to have you check me out."

Ducky arched an eyebrow. "Tripped?" He asked disbelievingly, reaching a hand out to tip Tim's head up into the harsh overhead lights. "You..._**tripped?**_" He said staring at the cut and bruised face.

Tim shrugged, then wished he hadn't when the movement sent a stab of pain through him. "I tripped. Fell down some stairs. Hurt myself." Tim said, not really meaning to, but agreeing with Ducky's question that had set Sarah off.

"When?" He asked.

"Last night."

Ducky nodded. "Come over and hop up." Ducky said leading the way to one of the tables.

Tim cringed at even the thought of 'hopping' anywhere.

"He can't. He can barely move with his ribs." Sarah said. "He couldn't even get undressed out of his bed shirt this morning."

Tim blushed when he remembered that his sister had to help him get his t-shirt off this morning because he couldn't lift his arm high enough to do it himself.

"Hmm." Ducky got a rolling desk chair and brought it to where Tim stood. "Timothy, if you were hurt this bad why didn't Jethro call for me to come to you?"

Tim almost shrugged but thought better of it. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" He asked in a harsh tone as he gingerly sat in the chair.

Ducky's eyebrow went up again at his words and tone but he wisely let it go and started his exam. "Is there any double vision, Timothy? Nausea? Vomiting? Headache? Dizziness?" He fired off the questions rapidly, being able to study Tim's head now that he could see it better.

"Nausea. Bad headache. Some dizziness." Tim answered shortly.

"Did you pass out?"

"No."

Ducky nodded. "Good. I don't think you have a concussion, Timothy, and I don't think you need stitches, even though this is a bad cut." Ducky took a step back and raised his hands to Tim's shirt. "Now let's take a look at your ribs."

Tim blushed a deep red and brushed Ducky's hands away. It was bad enough that Sarah had to help him get undressed and dressed, he couldn't stand for Ducky to do it!

"I'll do it, Dr. Mallard." Sarah offered, stepping up.

"Ducky." He said, stepping out of her way. "It's Ducky, my dear."

Sarah nodded, smiling as she quickly helped her brother out of his shirt and undershirt.

Sarah gasped when she revealed the damage done to her brother. She hadn't known it was this bad! "Oh, Tim!" Shaking her head. "Tim..." She couldn't manage more than that with the lump in her throat. She would have cried if Ducky hadn't been there.

Emerald green eyes met chocolate brown ones, imploring Sarah not too say anything.

Ducky's eyes widened when he saw the colorful bruises that mottled Timothy's skin. He saw the black, blue and purple ones from last night but there were others of different stages of healing,too. "Timothy!" He exclaimed. "All of these aren't from last night!"

Tim winced. This was why he hadn't wanted to see Ducky! Or any doctor for that matter! They would ask questions that he didn't want to answer! "I fall a lot,Ducky." Tim said lamely, not meeting Ducky's blue eyes.

"Timothy!" Ducky exclaimed, fixing to call him on what was obviously a blatant lie. He thought better on it when he saw the look on Timothy's face. "You must take better care of yourself." He said instead, wondering if it sounded as hollow to the McGee brother and sister as it did to him.

Tim laughed bitterly. "Yeah, I guess I must."

Ducky didn't say anything else, but an uneasiness filled him. As he continued his exam, he promised himself that he would make sure to bring this up to Jethro later.

_**-NCIS-**_

Jethro Gibbs slammed his black office phone down in frustration. Another dead end lead! They had checked and re-checked everything, no mater how small, trying to establish a pattern, trying to figure out how this guy chose his victims. Nothing. They knew that he found them over the internet and lured them in that way but other than that, there was no connection between the children. All the children were different genders, different ages, different races, different home situations, different everything. The task force couldn't find anything that linked all their victims together and they were running out of time! If the guy stayed true to form, then another kid would be targeted soon. Gibbs almost growled in frustration.

Tony, from where he sat at his desk going over witness statements with Sacks, a tall slender man with dark skin and eyes, could see the storm brewing and wisely kept his head down.

Ziva, wanting to get out of the line of fire, decided that now might be the time for a cup of tea. She stood up and headed to the break room, wondering if Tim might like a coffee or a cold soda?

"Hey, where's McGeek?" Agent Donnelly, who obviously couldn't see the way things were headed, asked from where he sat beside Ziva's desk. He was a thin man of average height who was totally nondescript. Brown hair, brown eyes, washed out complexion. The kind of man that could walk down a crowded street and have no one notice he had been there.

Tony bristled. He didn't like anyone calling McGee that but him. That was _**Tony's**_ nickname for McGee. "He went to see Ducky." Tony answered tightly without looking up.

Agent Donnelly sat up in his chair, showing interest. "Oh? Why?" He asked, an eyebrow raised, glancing at Agent Harris who sat beside him. Agent Harris was the total opposite of Agent Donnelly. He was tall with golden blond hair,laughing blue eyes, a sculpted jaw and broad shoulders. A very handsome man if it wasn't for the mean look that seemed to be permanently etched on his face. "Something to do with the case?" He asked with a smirk.

Tony glanced up, not liking the tone of his voice or the smirk on his face. Who was he kidding? He just didn't like the man. "No." He said shortly, glaring daggers at the other man. "Tim tripped and fell down the stairs last night. Hurt himself, pretty bad it looks like."

Agent Donnelly didn't say anything, but he shared a look with Harris that sent an fissure of awareness down Tony's spine. _**'What is that about?'**_ He wondered to himself, making a mental note to come back to it later.

Harris let out a mean-spirited laugh that set Tony's teeth on edge. "How can a man that can't walk a straight line without falling over something end up a field agent?" He asked with a smirk, shaking his head.

Anger surged through Tony. "I'll have you know that Tim is a good agent." He said haughtily, in defense of his partner, friend and surrogate little brother.

Harris opened his mouth to fire an answer back but he was cut off.

"If you three don't have enough work to do, I can find you more!" Gibbs barked angrily. Although the look he threw Tony told him that he was proud of the way he had defended his partner and friend.

It was Tony's turn to smirk as the other two agents' hurriedly opened the folders they were holding. He loved the fact that Gibbs temper could intimidate them. It didn't stop them from being complete asses but it was fun to watch them scramble to do Gibbs' bidding.

_**-NCIS-**_

_**HOPE THIS WAS OKAY. NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH IT BUT NOTHING ELSE SEEMED TO WORK. EVERYONE HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I AM SORRY FOR THE LONG TIME BETWEEN UPDATES! MY WRIST IS NOT HEALING LIKE THE DOCTOR SAID IT WOULD. UPDATES WILL CONTINUE TO BE SPORADIC AND CHAPTERS WILL BE SHORT LIKE THIS ONE. **_

_**I WANT TO THINK EVERYONE WHO HAVE READ REVIEWED ALERTED AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I INTEND TO ANSER EVERY REVIEW BECAUSE I TRULY APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK!**_

_**ABBY SHOWS UP IN THIS CHAPTER! PLEASE, NO ONE GET MAD. ABBY IS GOING TO REDEEM HERSELF LATER IN A BIG WAY! **_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**_

_**-NCIS-**_

"Timothy, I really would feel better if you went to have some x-rays done." Ducky said as the doors to autopsy opened and Abby Sciuto, their resident forensic scientist, walked in.

Tim looked up and stiffened when he saw Abby standing there in all her goth glory. He quickly brought his eyes back to Ducky. " You said that it didn't look like there was anything broken." He replied as Sarah buttoned his shirt.

Sarah felt the way that Tim froze and raised an eyebrow at her brother. He gave a small shake of his head before turning his attention back to Ducky.

"That doesn't mean that there isn't." Ducky said pointedly, getting exasperated with the other man's stubbornness. The brother and sister's silent communication had not escaped his keen eyes, either and he wondered about it.

Abby, who had finally had frozen in shock when confronted with McGee's battered form, finally found her voice. "McGee!" She exclaimed, rushing over to where Tim sat. "What happened?" She took in his face. "Are you okay?" She asked even though she had heard the tale end of their conversation. "Is he okay, Duckman?" She asked turning to Ducky.

"I'm fine, Abby." Tim bit off, pushing her and his sister away so he could climb slowly to his feet, wincing when the movement pulled at his sore ribs. "Come on, Sarah." He said. "I'll walk you out." He turned and walked away without another word to Ducky or Abby, leaving Sarah to follow quietly behind him.

"Tim?" Abby called after him sadly. She turned lost hazel eyes to Ducky when Tim didn't even acknowledge her.

Ducky watched Timothy and Sarah entered the elevator before he turned to Abby. "Are you two quarreling, my dear?" He asked, confused. He had never seen Timothy snub anyone like that, let alone the lab rat. Everyone knew that Abby could do no wrong in Timothy's eyes. Usually. This time there had been something in the way that he had looked at the goth before he left. It was the same look that he'd gotten when Ducky had mentioned Jethro's name. A look of..._**betrayal?**_

Abby felt anger surge through her. She couldn't believe that he was still doing this! "He's just jealous!" Abby said furiously, placing her fists on her pink and black plaid hips.

"Jealous?" Ducky inquired. That didn't sound like Timothy. Oh, Ducky had seen him jealous, of course, but he had never seen the lad act the way he just had. "Why would you say that, my dear?"

"He's been acting like this ever since I went out with Harris!" Abby exclaimed angrily.

Ducky raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Abby asked defensively. "He's cute!"

Ducky was sure that women found the man in question very attractive, but there was something about the man that Ducky found... _**unsettling.**_

"Too bad Harris' inside doesn't match his outside." Abby continued. "Turns out, the guy is a jerk!"

"And you think that Timothy is jealous of Agent Harris and that is why he is acting like this?" Ducky asked in disbelief. That just didn't seem like the Timothy he knew. He wasn't that... _**petty.**_

"Exactly!" Abby insisted when Ducky shook his head. "McGee even tried to warn me off Harris! He tried to tell me that Harris was pulling all these mean pranks on him with that other agent.!" Abby exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief.

She was so wound up that she failed to notice Ducky stiffen.

"Please!" She scoffed. "Tony pulls something on him everyday! McGee only tried to make it a big deal because he didn't want me dating Harris!" Abby said angrily. She was also a little hurt at the way Tim had snubbed her—he hadn't even introduced her to his sister—but she refused to think about that now.

A feeling of disquiet had come over Ducky. Something about what Abby had said bothered him greatly, but he couldn't put his finger on why. "Did you need something, Abby?" He asked, deciding to get back on course and pushing his unease away to study at a later time.

_**-NCIS-**_

Sarah followed her brother into and stayed silent as she watched him push the button that would take them to the entrance of the building.

"What's going on between you and Abby?" She asked when the silver doors were closed and they were on their way. Tim had never confessed his feelings for the forensic scientist to her but Sarah had guessed the extent of them from the tone of his voice and the look on his face when he talked about her. Something really bad must have happened for Tim to treat her the way he had. Her brother's manners were a deeply ingrained part of him. For him to just ignore them... Sarah shook her head.

Tim sighed wearily as he carefully leaned back against the wall of the elevator. He so did not want to get into this with her. He'd already told her about Gibbs and what was going on here at work. He wouldn't have done it if she hadn't been there after he had gone home after a particularly vicious prank. He didn't want to get into what was wrong between him and Abby. He was always so careful with Sarah, so protective. He tried to never reveal anything that would hurt or worry his sister.

"Tim?" She said questioningly when he remained silent.

Tim blew out a breath and leaned his head back, his eyes on the ceiling of the elevator. "Abby—" He started after a minute. "Gibbs wasn't the first person I complained, too, Sarah. I went to Gibbs to stop it, just as he always said we were supposed to go to him about things like that, but I first told the others. Including Abby." Tim admitted.

Sarah gaped at him. "What?" She asked furiously, chocolate eyes flashing.

Tim winced and nodded, knowing he would get an ear full about not telling her that later. "It was a couple of weeks after the assignment started. Things weren't as bad as they are now." He couldn't help but say in defense of his team. "Tony and Ziva just thought it's the same harmless but annoying things they do to me. They know that I talked to Gibbs and nothing else has been said about it." Tim carefully lifted the shoulder of his uninjured side in a sort of half shrug. "When things started to get bad, I thought about asking for their advice on how to handle it, but... _**things...**_ have changed between us lately." Tim hadn't wanted Tony and Ziva to lose respect for him or feel like he wanted to them to fight his battles for him but being able to talk to them would have been nice. Going to Gibbs had been different. Gibbs was in charge. He was the _**boss**_ it was his _**place**_ to put a stop to things like this.

"And Abby?" Sarah asked bitingly. This was just getting worse and worse! They _**knew. **_They all _**knew!**_

Tim sighed again. "Abby thinks I'm...jealous." He admitted reluctantly.

Sarah raised an well-groomed chocolate eyebrow. "_**Jealous**_?" She asked with menace in her tone.

Tim lifted his head to nod but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Tim?" Sarah prodded when he didn't continue. She just had to hear this!

"Abby went out with one of _**them**_!" He practically snarled. "I tried to tell her what kind of person he was but she—she," Tim stopped and gritted his teeth. "She wouldn't believe me. She started _**laughing**_ at me! Started making _**fun**_ of me. Of my _**jealousy.**_" Tim balled his hands into fists. It still made him furious when he thought about it! He refused to admit it still stung as well, not because she had laughed at him or poked fun at him— Abby and the whole team did that all the time, so that was really nothing new—But this time was different. Because she refused to listen when he tried to tell her something that was important. That was what hurt him most of all. Oh, Gibbs had played his part in bringing Tim down, but Tim had dealt with people like Gibbs his whole life. And while he still ached deep inside, it wasn't really anything new.

Tim sighed wearily and the anger left him, his shoulders slumping against he elevator wall, leaving him feeling drained. Would he never learn? He wondered despairingly. He should have just kept his mouth shut! A bitter smile twisted his lips. At least then he could have kept the illusions!

Sarah watched the emotions flash across her brother's face in silence. She could tell what he was thinking without having to be told. The anger drained out of her leaving in it's place a bone deep sadness. Why was it that no one ever cared how much they hurt her brother? He was such a good man. Gentle, kind, loyal. Could they not see that? Could they not see how their words and actions hurt Tim even if they didn't mean them too? Or was it that they just didn't care? She wondered as the elevator doors opened and Tim walked her to the entrance. Why did everyone in his life think they could knock him down as much as they wanted and he would just get back up for more?


	7. Chapter 7

_**DISCL**_**AIMER**_**: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**_

_**-NCIS-**_

Tim made his way into the NCIS building, bag in one hand a large coffee in the other, his mind on the past few days. It had been surprisingly peaceful. There had been a new lead uncovered. It was their first real break in the case and everyone had scrambled to find out as much new information as possible, leaving Tim alone in the bullpen. He was thankful for the reprieve, it giving him a chance to heal a little. Tim left the elevator and his stomach sank to see the FBI team there along with the rest of the MCRT. He couldn't help but wonder when they had gotten there. It must have been very early to have beat _**him**_ there. Tim was usually there early.

Ziva looked up when she heard the elevator doors open and smiled in relief when she saw McGee walk out. The lead had panned out and they needed him to work his magic with the computer. She had already tried to call him and had been worried when he hadn't answered his phone, breaking one of Gibbs most sacred rules—never be unreachable. Ziva cast a superstitious glance at Gibbs. She could practically see him vibrate with anger at Tim for not answering his phone and the urgency to have Tim there, working. She hoped that he would hold onto his temper, for Tim's sake. Tim had been different the last few days, although she had only seen him in passing. He had seemed...happier...somehow. She hoped it would last. If it did, Ziva thought it might mean that she was getting her friend back. She really wished that to be so. She wanted whatever that was wrong, fixed. She was glad that nothing had happened to make him isolate himself further.

Tony looked up at almost the same time as Ziva, just as glad as she was to see his Probie there. Gibbs was getting impatient and an impatient Gibbs was never a good thing. Tony was glad that McGee had come in as early as he usually did. They were so close now, so close to finding this guy before he got another child. Gibbs would only be able to see that. Tony didn't want him to take his anger and impatience out on McGee and have Tim pull further away from them.

Gibbs watched as his youngest made his way from the elevator, across the bullpen to his desk. "Can you possibly take any longer, McGee?" He bellowed.

Tim froze for a second, then continued on his way, moving a little faster.

Tony winced at Gibbs cold and biting tone.

"Today, McGee!"

Tim flushed red, noticing the stares he was getting from the his two FBI 'friends'. He always hated when Gibbs was mad at him, but he hated it even more now, when he showed it in front of them. He sped up more, even though the faster movement pulled at his still healing ribs. "Sorry, Boss." He mumbled when he finally reached his desk, even though he knew how Gibbs felt about apologies.

Ziva sent Gibbs a look that clearly said '**Back Off'** as she stood to move to Tim's desk so she could explain what they had found. She could see Tim withdrawing with each word spoken in that cold, cruel tone.

With everyone's attention focused on Tim or Gibbs, no one the look that Agent Harris and Agent Donnelly shared or the malicious half smiles that twisted their lips as they watched, _**intently**_, as Tim put his pack under his desk and moved to sit down in his desk chair.

After that everything seemed to move in slow motion. It would have been quite comical if the after effects hadn't been so devastating. Ziva watched helplessly as Tim sat down and his chair collapsed from under him, throwing him to the side and into the new computer setup that the FBI had sent over, the cup of coffee in his hand spilling all over it, sending up sparks and smoke. Ziva could tell immediately that Tim was hurt, to what extent she didn't know. "Tim!" She exclaimed worriedly as she ran the few paces left to her partner's side.

Tony jumped up from his desk and ran to grab a fire extinguisher, just in case the sparks turned into a fire.

Tim gave a low pain-filled moan as he tried to get away from the smoking equipment, his left hand and arm burning form the contact with the sparking technology, his still healing ribs hurting anew. He felt hands grab him and try to pull him to his feet. Tim looked up into the worried earth colored eyes of Ziva and realized that it was her that was pulling on him. He tried, unsuccessfully, to gain his feet, sinking to his knees with another pain-filled sound, at least he had been able to move a little ways away from the ruined computer set-up.

"Damn it, McGee—!" Gribbs started, storming over to McGee's desk.

"Gibbs." Ziva tried to interrupt, her hands wrapped around Tim's arm, still trying to pull him up.

"You've ruined it!" Gibbs continued to berate his junior agent as if Ziva hadn't said anything. "If another child is taken because of your clumsiness—!" Gibbs yelled, his mind on the new information that they had just uncovered. "You—"

"_**GIBBS!" **_Ziva yelled, stopping whatever he was about to say. Tony had come back by then and she stepped out of the way as he tossed the fire extinguisher to Sacks and pulled Tim gently to his feet. "Let me see, Tim." She said softly, moving to the side he was favoring so that she could see how badly he had been hurt.

Tim, his mind dull with the pain of new and old injuries, backed away from them until his back was against the partition, shaking his head mutely. He looked over the shoulders of his team to where two FBI agents stood snickering behind their hands and then his glittering green eyes took in his desk chair. Tim's brilliant mind raced back to a time after a stakeout when Tony and Ziva had been in a prank war and Tony had taken apart Ziva's chair in retaliation. He jumped to a conclusion as he turned hurt eyes to Tony and Ziva, a look of betrayal on his face, a ache that had nothing to do with his injuries settled deep inside his chest. "How could you?" He choked out at Tony, stung at the thought that he and Ziva had joined his tormenters. His mind, dulled as it was, wondered if they had been in it with the others all along. If he had been thinking right, he would have known that Tony and Ziva wouldn't have joined in with Agent Harris and Agent Donnelly. They may have took his chair apart but they wouldn't have done it when he was hurt. But he wasn't thinking right. And his belief that his friends, his_** family,**_ had betrayed him hurt more than his injuries did.

Tony saw the expression of betrayal on Tim's face and heard the accusation in his voice and his mind immediately connected with what Tim thought. "No, Tim," Tony started, shaking his golden brown head in denial. "It wasn't me! I didn't—I wouldn't—" He sputtered. "Not now—''

But Tim wasn't listening. He just leveled a look at each one of them—Gibbs, Tony and Ziva. It made the words freeze in Tony's throat and silenced anything that Gibbs would have said. It was an expression that none had ever seen him wear before and each wished that they would never see it on their brother's and son's face again. It wasn't only the betrayal that had been there just a moment before, it was also anguish, accusation, and..._**distrust**_?

Tim started to walk away. To where he didn't know, he just knew that he had to leave, had to get away from _**them**_. All of them, not only his FBI 'friends', but his team, too. He couldn't _**breath**_ here. The air was trapped in his lungs, refusing to circulate until he was away.

Ziva lifted a brown hand to stop him but he flinched violently away from her, letting out a soft moan as the wild movement aggravated his wounds. She let her hand drop without a word, watching sadly as Tim staggered away.

Tony turned around after Tim got on the elevator, a lost look on his face. "I didn't, Boss." He turned to Ziva. "I promise I didn't." His tone was that of a hurt little boys'. His little brother had been harmed by something that Tim thought Tony had done. Tony wasn't sure how to deal with the accusation.

"I know, Tony." She said softly. And she did know. Tony couldn't have done that to Tim's chair. But Ziva would find out who did. Yes, she would find out who had hurt her brother. And she would hurt them back.

_**-NCIS- **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**THANKS TO EVERYONE! YOU ALL ARE APPRECIATED!**_

_**DISCLAIMER:I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**_

_**-NCIS-**_

Tim entered the elevator in turmoil. He stood looking at the numbers on the panel after the doors had closed in confusion. Where could he go? He couldn't go to Abby's lab. She was still mad at him. He didn't want to go anywhere people could see him. Tim couldn't take the pity looks. He was sure that gossip was already making the rounds. He couldn't leave. That would not go over well. Tim almost whimpered. He just wanted to go somewhere he could hide and lick his wounds in private and he had nowhere to go. Tim finally pushed a random selection of buttons, deciding to get off wherever the elevator stopped first. He leaned back against the elevator wall to wait, forcing the stale air out of his lungs and fresh air in, thankful that he was away from the bullpen and could breath. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Tim was surprised to find himself outside autopsy. It hadn't been a conscious decision on his part to come here and as he stopped a few paces from the automatic doors, he found that he couldn't go in, although he desperately wanted too. Tim wasn't aware of how long he stood there, his heart and body hurting. He forced the thoughts from his mind, refused to think about the betrayal of the people he trusted more than he had ever trusted anyone. Refused think about why Tony and Ziva would join in with his torture and why Gibbs would blame him for it when he could see that it was not Tim's fault. He felt their betrayal sharply, as if one of them had stabbed him in his heart with a knife and the others had slowly twisted it.

Jimmy Palmer stepped out of the elevator and stopped himself from plowing into the broad solid, back in front of him just in time. "McGee?" He inquired, stepping around the agent when Tim didn't move.

Tim turned glassy, unseeing leaf-green eyes towards Jimmie's voice.

Looking into those eyes, Jimmie knew immediately that he was not competent to handle whatever had happened. "Doctor Mallard!" He called, moving so the automatic doors to autopsy would open but not going in; unwilling to leave the older man standing there like that. "Doctor Mallard!" He called again, his voice rising with panic.

"Mister Palmer," Ducky said coming out of his office at his assistant's panic-stricken voice. "What on Earth—" He stopped, eyes widening at the sight that greeted him. "Timothy!" He exclaimed at seeing the young agent in such a state. Ducky rushed over and took Tim's arm, leading him into autopsy.

"Jimmie, get my medical bag." He said to the autopsy gremlin as he steered Tim to a chair.

Jimmie ran to do as he was asked and returned before Ducky had even started his examination. "Thank you, my boy." Ducky accepted the bag without turning away from Tim. "I think a cup of tea is in order, Mister Palmer. Very strong and very sweet, if you please."

Jimmie turned quietly to do his bidding, recognizing the signs of shock. "Do you want me to call Tony?" He asked, knowing that the older agent considered Tim his brother and would want to know about this. They may snipe and jab at each other but when it came down to it, they had each others backs, hands down.

"No!" Tim yelled, coming out of his stupor.

Jimmie jumped, almost knocking over the teapot at Tim's violent reaction.

"Timothy?" Inquired, quite surprised.

"I-I-I d-d-don't w-w-want to s-s-see him." Tim stuttered. "I-I-I d-d-don't w-w-want to s-s-see any of _**t-t-them**_!" Tim tried to get up, intending to leave before the MCRT could come here.

Ducky put a surprisingly strong hand on his shoulder. "Alright, Timothy." Ducky soothed. "We won't call Anthony."

Tim started, narrowing his eyes at what he thought of as a silent intent to call someone else.

"We won't call anyone." He amended at that suspicious look. Tim settled back down, still a little stiff, but not trying to leave anymore.

Ducky shared a worried glance with Jimmie as he looked over the young man, each thinking the same thing. 'What in the world had happened?'

_**-NCIS-**_

Gibbs was torn. He had known that something had been bothering his youngest son and he knew that he had just pushed him further away from all of them. That chair coming apart was not McGee's fault. He knew that. Gibbs turned his eyes to the still smoking equipment. Even the ruined computer set-up wasn't Tim's fault.

Gibbs sighed. He had become single minded in his determination to find this pervert before he snatched another child—as he always does when children are involved. Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face and blew out a breath. All he wanted was to go hunt his youngest down and find out what was wrong, but the fact remained that he had a case to solve and that trumped hurt feelings. "Call McGee and get him back up here." Gibbs bit out, his voice deliberately hard. "He needs to see what he can do with _**that**_." He said, pointing a finger at the ruined computer set-up.

Tony blinked where he stood. "Boss?" He asked confusedly. He hadn't exactly been paying attention. Tony's thoughts were focused on Tim. He wanted to follow his brother and make sure he was alright. Tony wanted to let Tim know that he hadn't done this. Wanted him to know that, yes, he had done that before but he didn't this time. Tony wanted Tim to understand that while he may have done this prank again, he wouldn't have done it _**now**_, not during a case, not in front of the FBI and certainly not when he knew that Tim was still healing. And he certainly would have warned Tim if he _**had**_ done it and Tim had been carrying a drink. But he knew that Tim wouldn't want to see him right now.

"We have a case!" Gibbs barked in a voice that said he shouldn't have to point that out. "We only have a short window to find this guy!"

"But, Boss—" Tony argued. He needed to make this right! He had a bad feeling about this. Time was running out! He wasn't any good at that computer stuff. Tony needed to... His eyes got wide as he finally caught up with the rest of the team. Someone was targeting _**his**_ Probie!

Gibbs turned his glare to Tony.

It took a minute for Tony to notice but when he did he obeyed right away. "Right away, Boss." Tony said, going to his desk and picking up his phone. He knew enough not to argue with his Boss when he got like this.

Gibbs felt eyes on him and turned to Ziva who stared at him with cold, dark orbs.

Gibbs returned her look. "Is there a problem, Agent David?" He asked tightly.

Ziva didn't answer him, just stared at him with quietly controlled fury. She knew that the case was important but so was Tim!

"Still no answer, Boss." Tony said, interrupting their staring contest. Worry replaced his anger temporaily. It wasn't like Tim not to answer his phone, even if he was upset. Tony blanched at that thought. He was probably more then upset!

Occupied as they were, none of the remaining MCRT saw the look that Tim's two FBI 'friends' exchanged or the smirks they through each other.

Ron Sacks had watched the whole thing from the beginning with the gaze of an impartial observer. So he saw what the others did not. And he had knowledge that the MCRT did not. He had heard the rumors at his own office. There had been no outright complaints but there had been whispers. Whispers that Sacks was beginning to believe was true.

Gibbs turned and violently slammed his fist down on McGee's desk, causing everyone to jump. "Now he's just being childish!" He exclaimed, furious at Tim's blatant flaunting of his rules. "Call Abby!" He barked. "Tell her to send him back here **NOW!**" He roared.

His anger only got worse when Tony didn't immediately pick up the phone. Gibbs turned his glare to the senior field agent.

Tony shifted in his seat uncomfortably under his scrutiny. " I, uh, don't think that Tim would be with Abby, Boss." He explained, squirming.

"Tony's right, Gibbs." Ziva interjected. "Tim would not go to Abby's lab."

Gibbs anger left him. He had noticed the tension between his youngest boy and the forensic scientist but hadn't paid much attention to it, absorbed as he was in this case, believing that it would blow over as it always did. That Tim hadn't made amends—whether it was his fault or not—just drove home how much things had changed lately and the churning in his gut stirred again—worse. It was becoming glaringly obvious that something was seriously wrong.

"Tim was hurt." Ziva offered when she saw concern replace the anger. "Maybe he went to autopsy, yes?"

Gibbs felt a twinge of guilt when he realized that—_**again—**_a Tim had been hurt and he hadn't noticed. It took him only a second to decide. "Take everything we got to cybercrimes." They weren't as good as his youngest, but maybe a whole unit could come up with _**something**_. "See what they can do." Gibbs called over his shoulder as he stalked to the elevators.

"Boss?"

"Gibbs?"

"I'll be in autopsy." He said, his voice floating back to them as he entered the elevator.

_**-NCIS-**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**_

_**~NCIS~**_

Tim swallowed the last of the tea Ducky had insisted he drink, grimacing at the strong, sweet brew. He had to admit he felt a little better, though.

"Good, Timothy." Ducky said, taking the fragile tea cup from him and casting a professional eye critically over Tim. "Well, lad, there is finally some color coming back into your face but you're still awful pale." Ducky refrained from questioning Tim about what had happened to put him into such a state and turned his attention to Tim's injuries. "How is your hand and arm?"

"Easing off." Tim bit out, what happened in the bullpen consuming him again. Tim didn't have any hard feelings at Gibbs. Not really. It was Tony and Ziva. It was the thought that they had been in league with his tormenters all along that bothered him. Tim pushed it away, not ready to think about it.

Ducky watched as what color that had come back to Tim's face drained and reconsidered his decision to question the lad. "Do you want to tell me what happened, Timothy?"

Tim tensed and shook his head emphatically. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't even want to think about it. Thinking about Tony and Ziva's betrayal hurt more than his electrical burns did.

Ducky sighed. "Very well, lad." Ducky studied his patient for a minute. "Timothy..." He started but stopped when he saw the closed, mutinous look come to Tim's face.

They remained like that for a while, the silence only broken by Jimmy as he went about his work. Ducky had just opened his mouth to speak when the automatic doors opened and he turned his head to see Gibbs walk in. A strangled noise made him swiftly turn back to Tim.

Tim had looked up when the doors opened and a sense of betrayal came over him when Gibbs walked in. Leaf-green eyes met Ducky's bright blue ones, Tim's filled with anguish and accusation.

Ducky was taken back at the betrayal he saw on Tim's face that was directed to him. He knew automatically that Tim thought he had called Gibbs. "Timothy," Ducky started shaking his head in denial.

Tim jumped up as soon as Gibbs reached them, moaning when the movement sent waves of pain through his battered body. "You promised you wouldn't! You lied!" He practically shouted. "I can't trust any of you!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Gibbs yelled, coming to a stop toe to toe with his youngest, eyes narrowing when Tim flinched away from him.

"Jethro..." Ducky said in warning. This was not the way to find out about or solve what was wrong.

"Are you going to answer me, McGee!"

Tim turned his eyes from where they were glaring accusingly at Ducky to glare at Gibbs. He refused to let Gibbs intimidate him! He wasn't at fault here! He had been betrayed by all of them—Gibbs, Abby, Tony, Ziva and now Ducky. The only one who hadn't done anything or took the side of his two 'friends' was Jimmy. He knew Jimmy wasn't the one who called Gibbs. Jimmy, in all his years at NCIS, had never called Gibbs, and he hadn't been out of Tim's sight to call anyone else.

"I did not call Jethro, Timothy." Ducky said quietly, not turning his eyes from Tim's face. He didn't know why, but something told him it was important for Timothy to know that. 

"What the hell is going on!" Gibbs roared angrily, losing his patience.

Tim clamped his lips together and just looked at Gibbs.

Ducky shook his head. He didn't know what was wrong. He didn't know what had happened to put Timothy in the state that Jimmy had found him in and he didn't know why Timothy didn't want Jethro or his team to be called.

Gibbs stared at his agent until it became obvious that he wasn't going to answer. With that realization Gibbs realized what Ducky had been warning him about. Yelling at the kid wasn't the way to get him to talk about what has been bothering him for the last few months. He blew out a breath and drew in another, trying to push his anger away. "Can you and Palmer give us a minute, Duck?" He asked the older man in a normal tone.

"Certainly, Jethro. Come, Mister Palmer."

Gibbs waited until they had disappeared before turning back to his agent. "Mc—_Tim—_Are you are right?" He asked, wanting get that over with before getting into anything else.

Tim blinked, not expecting that. 'Uh, yeah. Just some electrical burns." He said a little uncertainly, wondering where Gibbs was going with this.

"I—I shouldn't have said what I did in the bullpen." Gibbs said, coming as close to an apology for his behavior as he was willing to go.

Tim just nodded, unsure what to say.

Gibbs debated for a few minutes, wondering how to broach the subject, but he didn't have time to do this delicately, even though this was a delicate situation. Delicate wasn't his style anyway. Straight forward was. "I know something is wrong. You've changed lately, pulled away from everyone, and we don't understand what's wrong. How can we help if we don't know what the problem is?"

Tim stared at Gibbs, wondering if he was sincere. That was the nicest speech that Gibbs had ever made to him. Did he really want to know what had been going on? Would he listen this time or would Gibbs just blow him off again?

"Tim?" Gibbs questioned, feeling his usual impatience threatening to consume him.

Tim straightened and took a deep breath. "It was Agent Harris and Agent Donelly that took my chair apart." He said, deciding to leave Tony and Ziva out of it for the time being. "They have been—"

The softness left Gibbs eyes and anger came in it's place. "Dam it, McGee! Are you back on that?" He exploded, cutting off what Tim had been about to confess. "Stop whining and let it go! You've got to expect some hazing, especially you—"

"Jethro!" Ducky yelled from the door to his office, where he had just got off the phone with Anthony, who had told him the whole story, when he had first heard Gibbs' raised voice.

Gibbs cringed when he saw the look on McGee's face. He was so bad at this. "Aw, hell, McGee, I did _not_ mean that the way it came out." He said running a hand through his silver hair.

Tim smiled gamely. "Yeah." He said, nodding his head. "Sure. I know that." The other two men could hear the disbelief clear in his voice.

"Timothy." Ducky said.

"I've got to go back to work now, Ducky." Tim interuppted, already moving around Gibbs gingerly, almost as if he was afraid Gibbs would strike out at him.

"McGee— "

"Talk to you later, Boss." He said, making his escape.

Ducky glared at his friend as soon as the automatic doors closed after Tim.. "You can be a right bastard at times, can't you, Jethro?" Ducky shook his head. "How could you allow such a thought to enter into your mind let alone say it aloud?" He asked, his voice hard. "To make that lad—to tell him that he had to expect things like this prank they pulled on him. _Especially_ him?

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded, Duck." Gibbs defended. He really hadn't. Gibbs looked at the automatic doors, a little lost. His gut was telling that he had to just lost his chance to make this right.

_**~NCIS~**_

_**NOT EXACTLY HAPPY WITH THIS CHAPTER. GIBBS IS REALLY OOC BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO WORK. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!_

_~NCIS~_

Ron Sacks had thought a lot about the situation between his colleagues and McGee. Thought about how to approach it—whether to talk to McGee out right or go to Tobias. It wasn't that either man was unapproachable; Ron just wasn't sure how to start the conversation. Ron had always been a reserved man, not given to anything anyone could call displays of affectation or caring for any co-worker. In a job where partners became brothers and sisters and leaders became mothers and fathers, Ron had always held himself back. He knew that people thought of him as an uncaring, rather cold man and he had never given them reason to think anything else. They were wrong. It wasn't that he didn't care. It was that, at times, he cared a little to much. Especially at a time like this.

The elevator dinged then and McGee got off. Ron was up and across the bullpen before Tim got more then a few steps away from the elevator.

"Hey, McGee, got a minute?" He asked.

Tim blinked at him. "Uh, sure." He said, a little apprehensive. Sacks and him had never really talked before. Tim couldn't imagine what they had to talk about now except Sacks' two colleagues.

Ron decided to follow Gibbs and Fornell's example and pressed the button for the elevator. When the doors opened he waited for Tim to get back on and then followed him. As soon as the car started to move, the threw the emergency button and then turned to Tim. He stared at him for a minute, wondering how to start this kind of conversation. He decided that blunt was probably for the best. "Tony didn't do it. He's not the one who took apart your chair." The words were out before he could stop them. That was certainly not what he had meant to say!

"I don't want to talk about it!" Tim exclaimed, glaring at him.

"McGee..."

"I especially don't want to talk about it with you!" Tim interrupted, reaching out to push the emergency button.

Ron wasn't sure if he should be insulted or not.

The doors opened and Tim started to leave. "You don't have to worry about them anymore." Ron said, causing him to pause. "I'll take care of them."

Tim looked horrified. "Don't." He begged. "Please don't get involved." Tim stopped. "It's just a little hazing." He continued after a second. "I got to expect that, right? Especially me." It hurt almost as much to say those words as it had to hear them. It shouldn't he had heard them before. Many times before, from his own father. Tim honestly didn't know why it hurt so much. He had thought that those words and ones like them had lost the power to hurt him long ago.

"It's not just some hazing, McGee. It's gone beyond that. Now it's destruction of property and assault of a federal officer."

Tim smiled sadly. "You're the only one who thinks so, Sacks."

Ron watched him walk away, wondering what he meant by that. Had Tim talked to someone already? Ron knew that Gibbs had gone to find Tim. Had Tim told him what was going on? No. That couldn't be. Gibbs may be self-proclaimed bastard but there was no way he would brush aside the safety of one of his team members. That was just not possible.

Ron sighed. His talk with McGee hadn't gone as well as he had hoped. McGee had asked him not to get involved but Agent Harris and Agent Donnelly were his responsibility. Ron was Fornell's senior agent. It was his job to keep the other two in line, especially when dealing with other agencies. Their behavior reflected back on him and...he was out of excuses of why he was going to get involved. The truth was, Ron didn't like bullies. He especially didn't like bullies who used their badges to hide behind. Ron would talk to his two subordinates and tell them to lay off McGee. Anything else would have to wait until the case was over. They may be complete asses but they're very good at their jobs. But as soon as this case was over, Ron would make sure that they were booted out of the FBI. Harris and Donnelly gave all of them a bad name.

~_NCIS~_

Tony watched as Ron got up and walked so fast he was practically running and push McGee back on the elevator he just got off of.

"What the hell is that about!" Tony exclaimed, raising half-way out of his seat.

"I do not know." Ziva said, still looking at the closed elevator doors from her own desk.

Harris and Donnelly just looked at each other, bewildered.

"Well, don't you think we should find out!" Tony reached for his phone, intending to call his Probie.

"No, Tony." Ziva stopped him.

"Someone took Probie's chair apart, Ziva!" Tony argued."What if Sacks—'' The elevator opened before Tony could finish his sentence. They all watched as Tim started to walk out and then stopped as Sacks said something else, causing Tim to turn back. They talked for a few more minutes then Tim started back toward the bullpen, Sacks standing in front of the elevator.

Tim stopped when he got to his desk, looking at the damage done to the electronics, a little uncertain. He wasn't sure what he should do.

Tony stood up the rest of the way, wanting to talk to Tim about what had happened, wanting to explain. Before he could, Sacks came up behind Tim,

"Gibbs sent all the information to cyber crimes."

Ron didn't say anything else but Tim took it as he should go to cyber crimes and help out. "Thanks." Tim said as he turned and left.

Tony watched him go and promised himself that he would get the whole mess straightened out that night after work. He wouldn't make his Probie believe him when he told him that he hadn't done that to his chair. And he would also find out what had changed his best friend so much. Tony would go to Tim's apartment and he wouldn't leave until he got some answers!

Ron waited until Tim was out of earshot before he faced his two partners. "Harris and Donnelly, with me!" He barked at them. Ron didn't wait for them, just turned and stalked away.

~_NCIS~_

"This will teach that wimp to tattle on us." Harris muttered as he fiddled with the nasty little surprise he was preparing for Tim in his workshop. "Still can't believe he had the nerve to turn us in." Harris picked up a knife from his work bench and started to strip one of the wires that were connected to a medium size square block.

"Are you sure you're doing that right?" Donnelly asked from beside him, a little apprehensive. This was the worst prank they had ever pulled. It kind of worried him. Not doing it, of course. Just getting caught in the crossfire.

"Yes, I'm sure I'm doing this right!" Harris snapped. He put down the knife and picked up a pair of pliers, clipping the end of a red colored wire. His tanned fingers twisted the wire onto the block. "I have done this before, you know." He said condescendingly.

"I'm just asking, okay? If you're not careful, you could cause a lot of damage."

"Do you want to do it!" Harris exclaimed, whipping around. He glared at his friend with angry blue eyes. Donnelly was starting to annoy even him.

Donnelly held his hands out in front him. "Hey! I just don't want to end up as mincemeat, alright?" Donnelly wanted to get back at McGee as much as Harris did. He just didn't want to get blown up.

Harris forced himself to take a deep breath and let it out this could get a little dangerous if he didn't stay calm and concentrate. "It just has a little charge." He said, turning back to his project. "There's not enough here to seriously hurt someone. Just gonna do a little bit of damage to that car McGeek's so proud of."

"Are you really sure about the charge?" Donnelly asked.

"I'm sure. It wouldn't even do that much damage if it did happen to go off prematurely." Harris assured him.


	11. Chapter 11

_~NCIS~_

Sarah pulled into her brother's parking space and shut off his car. She glanced worriedly at her brother in the passenger seat. She had been at the dorm when she had received his call from Bethesda. She had hurriedly made her way to the hospital, something in her brother's hollow voice worrying her. That worry hadn't abated yet. She got out of the Porsche and went to her Tim's side. "We're here, Tim." She said, helping him out of his car, and grabbing their stuff. She kept an arm around her brother as they walked to his door.

Sarah gently maneuvered her brother into his apartment, locking the door behind them. "Come on, Tim." She said as she guided him toward his bedroom, being careful of his injuries. "Let's get you into bed." Sarah grabbed a pair of his pajamas pants and pushed him toward the bathroom. "Go get changed." As Tim went into the bathroom, Sarah moved to the bed, pulling down the comforter and top-sheet.

It was only a few moments before the bathroom door opened and Tim shuffled out quietly. Sarah was becoming increasingly concerned. Tim had said very little to her at the hospital and on the way home, just stared off into space with his arms wrapped around himself. It was like he was trying to hold himself together. He acted like any minute something was going to happen that would cause him to shatter in a million little pieces. Something had happened at work. Something more than what he had told her.

Tim got into his bed and Sarah pulled the comforter and sheet up around him, tucking him in like he was a little boy, much as he had done for her many times before. "Tim," She said, laying a pale, soft hand on his shoulder. She felt a flash of hurt when he stiffened and shrugged her hand off, all without opening his eyes or saying anything. "I'm—I'm going to make you a quick snack, Tim. You need to eat, especially with taking antibiotics. After I do that, I'm going to go pick up your prescription." Sarah stood there hesitantly for a minute but he didn't say anything. Tim didn't even acknowledge that she was there. Sarah walked on quiet feet to the kitchen, concern replacing the anger that had raged through her since she had received Tim's call from the hospital.

_~NCIS~_

"Why are we doing this now?" Harris moaned as they sat outside an apartment complex in Silver Springs. "Why can't we just wait until work tomorrow?" Harris shifted where he sat in the passenger seat. "Are you even sure this is where he lives?"

Donnelly turned a disgusted eye to his partner. "Yes, I'm sure." He pointed out the wind screen. "See, there's his car."

"But why are we doing this now?" Harris asked again. "Why not wait until work?"

Donnelly gave a long suffering sigh. "We're doing this now because of the surveillance cameras at work. You don't want to get caught, do you?" He asked patronizingly, as if he was talking to a child.

Harris shifted again, still uneasy with all this. "What about surveillance cameras out here?" He asked nervously. "Aren't you worried there may be cameras in the parking lot or that someone might see you putting it on McGee's car? What if someone sees us driving away?" He asked, being the voice of reason.

"That's why I brought this." Donnelly pulled a ski mask over his bright head and handsome features. "We don't have to worry about someone seeing the car. I changed the plates before we left. No one is going to connect this with either of us." Donnelly pulled a pair of black gloves on over his tanned hands. "When I get out, slide on over and be ready to pull away as soon I'm done." Donnelly said before picking up their little surprise and slipping out of the car. He paused before closing the door and leaned back in. "I just wish we could see the expression on McGeek's face when this little baby goes off." He gave a mean laugh. "It's going to be priceless!"

Harris immediately slid behind the wheel and watched as his partner made his way across the road to where McGee's car sat. Donnelly quickly placed the charge underneath the back bumper of Tim's car and was crossing the parking lot within a few minutes. Harris started the car and pulled away before Donnelly was even in the car good. They had made their getaway but Harris couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to come back to bite them on their backsides.

_~NCIS~_

Jethro Gibbs slowly sat down in his desk chair and blew out a weary sigh. It was after midnight and the day wasn't any closer to being over than it had been two hours ago. The information that had seemed so promising that morning had not lived up to its reputation. Without the FBI's top of the notch, without comparison, computer set-up, cyber-crimes hadn't been able to come up with anything new. Add that with what was going on with his junior agent and Gibbs was beyond frustrated.

He had thought long and hard about how to handle the situation he now found himself in with his youngest, and wasn't any closer to solving the problem. It seemed that he had made a mistake in everything he had done lately with Tim.

He had known for some time that something was wrong with his junior agent but Gibbs had ignored the oh, so obvious signs. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed them. He may not be exactly sure when everything had gotten so bad, but Gibbs had seen his youngest changed. As this case continued and Tim had been left more and more out of things, having to stay behind to work the computers he was so good at, Tim had become more and more withdrawn. Tim had isolated himself from all of them, even Abby. No, Gibbs thought shaking his head, that wasn't quite true. Something had happened to make Tim distance himself from her before things had gotten so out of whack with the rest of his kids. Gibbs thought back and realized that the harmony that usually existed between his team had been missing for a long time, a lot longer. A sense of foreboding came of Gibbs. He suddenly felt that time was running out. His gut was telling him that if he didn't fix what was wrong and soon, then he wouldn't be able to.

"Hey, Boss." Gibbs looked up, startled. He had been so deep in thought about his youngest boy he hadn't heard his oldest boy come into the bullpen. "Yeah?"

Tony shifted uneasily. He was not sure how to ask for what he wanted.

Gibbs sat up, concerned. "Tony?"

Tony's eyes roamed over the bullpen. They were the only ones there; the FBI, having called it a day long ago and Ziva somewhere else. He knew that Tim had left ages ago, having accomplished all that he could. Tim hadn't been far from his thoughts all day. He needed to set things straight with his friend and he needed to do it soon. Tony just couldn't shake the feeling that if he waited much longer it would be too late.

"Finish up anything that won't keep and then go home, Tony." Gibbs said in the silence of the bullpen. "See you in a few hours." He could see that his senior field agent was disturbed about something and had a feeling it was the same thing that he was concerned about himself.

Tony stood there for another moment, wondering how and really, if he should, bring up what was troubling him. Finally he decided that it wouldn't do any good to talk to Gibbs until after he had unearthed what the problem was. So Tony just nodded gratefully before making a bee-line for the elevator.

_~NCIS~_

Sarah let herself out of her brother's apartment and locked the door behind her. She was very worried about her brother. Something had happened today, something besides another prank from the FBI idiots. She hadn't seen Tim like this since…well, since they were kids. Since their father… Red-hot anger surged within her again. Sarah just knew that whatever had happened had something to do with one—or more—of his co-workers. Tim wouldn't be this hurt over just another prank. Sarah unlocked Tim's car and slid into the driver's seat. She would go pick up her brother's meds and take care of Tim tonight but tomorrow… Well, tomorrow, maybe it would be time for her and Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs to have a little talk. She knew, from things that her brother had told her, that Gibbs got tunnel vision on cases like the one they were currently working, but that was no excuse for deliberately ignoring Tim's welfare!

Sarah pushed her thoughts away, afraid to drive if she let her anger run rampant. She put the car in gear and started to carefully back out of her brother's parking space, before shifting gears once again and pointing the powerful vehicle toward the street.

There was no sign. No warning. She had no idea that anything was wrong or that she was in any danger. Sarah heard a loud noise, felt the car shake, saw the flames in the rear view mirror, pressed the brake, brown eyes widening in horror when nothing happened. Suddenly there a row of parked cars that belonged to the apartment residents loomed before her. Sarah tried to turn the wheel but, again, nothing happened. She felt the impact, heard the crash of metal on metal, and then she knew nothing else.

~_NCIS~_

Tony was beyond exhausted when he left the Navy Yard but that didn't stop him from immediately aiming his car in the direction of his Probies' apartment. He knew it was way too late to be paying a social call but something was telling him that he shouldn't wait, not even a few short hours. That feeling he'd had all day had intensified in the last little bit. He needed to right what was wrong between him and Tim now, not later. After Tony straightened things out with his friend, he was going to find out what was going on with Tim. Tony would get to the bottom of this. He would find out why his friend had drastically changed in the last few months.

As Tony pulled into the parking lot of Tim's apartment building, he could see his partner's car backing out of his space. Tony recognized Sarah behind the wheel and started to look for a parking space, glad that he would have the chance to talk to Tim alone, at least for a few minutes.

He didn't know what the noise was at first. Not until he saw the flames out of the corner of his eye and looked up in horror to see Tim's car on fire with Sarah still in it, the whole back end of the Porsche gone, the front twisted beyond recognition.

Later, when asked, Tony wouldn't be able to recall the exact details of what happened next. All he would remember was jumping out of his car and running to the burning wreck, yelling Sarah's name. He wouldn't remember how he got the bloodied and broken girl out of the Porsche before it exploded again. He wouldn't remember how hot the fire was, how he burned his hands on the sizzling door handle of the driver's side. He wouldn't remember screaming and kicking the door when it wouldn't open. He wouldn't remember exactly how he was able to get the door open only that he did. He wouldn't remember pulling Sarah free or cradling her to him so that he absorbed the brunt of the impact when they were thrown forward as the car exploded. He wouldn't remember feeling the skin scrape off his arms as they hit the blacktop or remember feeling the heat of the fire on his back. Tony wouldn't remember when the paramedics or fire department got there. He only knew that they were. He wouldn't remember how Tim got there, either, only that Tony looked up and he was just suddenly _there. _But what he would remember from this night, what he would never forget, is the anguished cry of a Sarah's name from Tim and the utter devastation on his face when he saw the damage that had been done to his beloved younger sister.


	12. Chapter 12

Tim sat in the waiting room of the same hospital he had been in just a few short hours earlier to get his burns checked, numb. He didn't remember how he had gotten there. All he could remember was the sight of his little sister in the arms of his best friend, bloodied and broken. He knew instinctively that sight would haunt him for a long time.

"Tim."

Tim looked up when he heard his name called and saw Tony standing there with bandages on his arms. He could tell by the look on his friend's face that it wasn't the first time his name had been called. Looking into the clear green eyes of the man that he had always thought of his big brother and a desperation filled him. He stood up and grabbed Tony's shoulders. Tim wasn't so far lost that he didn't feel a little remorse when his friend winced slightly as his fingers dug into Tony's shoulders. "Tell me you didn't have anything to do with this!" Tim pleaded. Something was telling him that Sarah hadn't just wrecked his car. How could the damage that he had seen happened in just an accident? Sarah couldn't have been going that fast in his apartment complex's parking lot. There hadn't been any other car besides the parked one that she had hit. How did the back of his Porsche sustain that much damage? Besides, he had heard the noise. Once you had heard a bomb go off, you never forgot the sound. Someone had put a bomb on his car. He prayed that Tony didn't have anything to do with it. But what was he doing there if he hadn't been a part of it? "What were you doing at my apartment, Tony?!" He asked angrily, giving the senior field agent's shoulders a rough shake. "Did you help them do this? Are you laughing at your little prank now?!" By the time he had finished, Tim was yelling. "It wasn't enough that you helped them make my life a living hell, you had to hurt Sarah, too!?"

Tony could only stand there in disbelief. He couldn't believe that his friend what think that he could have had anything to do with this. But his disbelief only lasted a moment as the rest of what Tim had just spouted sunk in. "Wait!" He said prying his partner's hands off his shoulders. Tim didn't have much strength because of the injuries he had sustained earlier in the day when his chair had fell apart but Tim still managed to aggravate the cuts and bruises that Tony had got when he saved Sarah McGee. "What do you mean?!" He exclaimed. "Who's _them?!" _Tony shook his head in denial. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about!" Green eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me-" Tony stopped. "What are you telling me, Probie?" He asked menacingly.

Stormy sea greens eyes searched moss green ones frantically. Tim wanted so much to believe in Tony's innocence. He wanted to believe that Tony wouldn't have anything to do with hurting his sister. He did save her, at risk to his own life. But the truth was, Tony was a liar. A professional liar. They all were. Lying was a part of their job, even though Tim had never been particularly good at it. But Tony had never lied to him. Not about something like this. Tony had never lied about something that mattered so much.

"Excuse me, gentlemen!" A firm voice said from behind Tony.

Tony turned around and Tim moved beside him so that both men were facing a pink scrub clad nurse.

"This is a hospital!" The brown streaked blond haired nurse hissed. She took a step closer to them. "If you two want to brawl take it out side!" With that she spun around and headed back to the nurses' station.

Tim turned to face his friend. He knew that now was the time to put his cards on the table and to find out if Tony and Ziva were in league with his tormenters. "If you tell me you had nothing to do with this, I'll—I'll believe you." Tim looked deep into his friend's eyes, hoping to see the truth in them. "Please tell me you didn't have anything to do with this." He pleaded desperately. "Please tell me you wouldn't do this. Not to Sarah. Please, Tony."

Tony met his best friends clear green gaze. "I promise you, Tim." He said, the senior agent's voice was as serious as anyone had ever heard it. "I didn't have anything to do with Sarah getting hurt." Tony didn't know all that was going on but right now he didn't need to know. Right now all he needed was to make sure that his little brother knew that he hadn't had a hand in any of this. "I swear that I would never hurt _you_ or Sarah."

Tim continued staring at Tony for a few minutes before he nodded his head and turned to slowly make his way back to the chairs he had been waiting in since arriving at the hospital.

Tony watched him go, noticing that there was something fragile about his friend. It seemed that it would only take one thing more to make him break completely. Tony feared that if the worst happened and they lost Sarah, they would lose Tim, too.

Tony shook off that disturbing thought and followed his probie into the waiting room, taking the seat beside his friend.

"What did Gibbs say?" Tony asked finally when the silence got to be too much for him. He decided to leave finding out what was going on until he had some back-up but he needed to get Tim to talking because he was starting to freak Tony out a little with the way he just stared straight ahead, not moving or speaking or even blinking.

Tim blinked and shook his head, as if coming out of a fog. "What did Gibbs say when, Tony?"

"When you called him, McGee." Tony answered patiently, becoming even more concerned at the way his partner continued to be out of it.

Tim looked at Tony sideways. "I didn't call Gibbs, Tony." He said. "Why would I call Gibbs?"

Tony turned in the hard waiting room chair to look at Tim in disbelief. "Because he's Gibbs!" Tony exclaimed. Tony's own phone had been damaged in his rescue of Sarah. Tim knew that and Tony had expected that he would call the Boss and let him know what was going on.

Tim just gave him that unblinking stare again.

"Tim, you think someone tried to blow up your car, with Sarah inside, and this isn't this first time that someone has tried to hurt you and you don't think Gibbs should know?!" Tony asked in disbelief.

Tim finally blinked. "Oh. That." Tim turned to the front with a shrug. "He already knows."

It took a minute for Tony to catch up. "But I thought that you didn't call him?" He asked, confused.

"I didn't call him." Tim stated in a hard voice. "But he already knows. Not about Sarah, but about—" Tim clamped his lips together tightly and refused to look at anything other than the wall straight ahead of him.

Tony glared at the junior agent for a moment then stood up. "I'm going to go and find a phone to call Gibbs. When I get back you better be ready to tell me what _in the hell_ is going on!" He said angrily. He knew that everything had to tie in together; Tim's pulling away from them, Tim's anger at Gibbs, Sarah's accident and Tim's accusation that Tony was with whoever did this. He was fed up and he was going to get his answers!

"I'll not be gone long." Tony said in warning before stalking away.

_~NCIS~_

Gibbs had just gotten a refill of his ever present black coffee and settled down at his desk to talk strategy with Tobias and Ron Sacks when his phone rang. It immediately started his gut to churning. No good came from a phone call in the early hours of the morning.

"Gibbs!" He barked, answering in his trademark fashion. Gibbs' face got grimmer as he listened to what his senior agent told him. He closed his icy blue eyes briefly before swiftly leaving his seat.

"That was Tony." He informed the two FBI agents as he opened his top desk drawer, picked up his gun and put it into his holster, then picked up his badge. "Someone messed with McGee's car and caused an accident." He said as he picked up his sports coat and headed for the elevator.

"Is McGee okay, Jethro?" Tobias asked as he and Ron followed behind.

Gibbs stiffened for a minute. "Wasn't McGee driving." He said shortly. "It was his kid sister." They got on the elevator and waited impatiently for the doors to close.

Tobias refrained from questioning his friend about the girl. From the look on his friend's face the news wasn't good. "Is this connected to the case?" He asked instead. It was a valid assumption. McGee played a central part. Everyone else mostly just run down the leads he found.

Gibbs didn't answer. Just bolted out the doors when they opened, leaving the FBI agents to walk to their own car.

Ron got into the passenger seat and buckled his seat belt, a sickening feeling in his stomach. He didn't think this had anything to do with this, or any, case. If he was right, then Ron had made a bad situation even worse by confronting his two junior agents. Ron had believed that he was doing the right thing by not going to Tobias with what he knew; that by handling it himself he could preserve McGee's dignity. Now, in hindsight, he knew that if he had gone to Tobias with what he knew, maybe this could have all been avoided. He still didn't know why McGee hadn't gone to his own team but Ron knew that he had made a mistake by not going to Tobias. He couldn't change what had happened, and he prayed that McGee's sister would be alright, but maybe he could stop anything more from happening by coming clean with his boss.

"Tobias." Ron started tentatively.

"Yeah?" Tobias said, distracted.

"There's something I need to tell you."

~NCIS~


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAVE READ AND EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED. I HAVE ANSWERED SOME AND WILL ANSWER ALL BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THEM.

I AM WORKING ON UPDATES TO ALL MY STORIES, BUT IT'S NOT THAT EASY TO GET BACK INTO IT AFTER BEING AWAY FOR SO LONG. 

~NCIS~

After Tony finished his call to Gibbs, he made a detour to the cafeteria to pick up two coffees and then made his way back to where Tim still waited in the ER waiting room. He had deliberately not told Gibbs everything that he knew because he wasn't sure exactly _what_ he knew. But he was going to rectify that situation right now. Tony sat beside his probie in the chair he had vacated previously and handed over one of the cups he held.

"Start from the beginning." Tony ordered. "I want to know everything. Don't leave anything out."

Tim was still caught up in worry about his sister and about the thought that anyone—even Harris and Donnelly—would think that blowing up his car, with Sarah in it, could be _funny._ He took the coffee when Tony impatiently shook it at him but he wasn't sure he was ready to spill his guts to the senior agent. What if Tony was like Gibbs and just blew him off? Or worse—what if Tony didn't believe him? Abby hadn't. Tim felt a deep hurt at that thought. He didn't know if he could stand it if Tony didn't believe him.

"Do we have to do this _now_, Tony?" Tim asked in an aggravated tone. "Do you really think that _now _is the right time to get into all this?"

Tony studied the younger man shrewdly. "You're not getting out of this, Tim." He said in a firm voice. "I know that this is not a good time with what's happening with Sarah." Tony said when a stubborn look came across Tim's face. "But I need to know why. I need to know why you've pulled away from us. I need to know why you think someone tried to hurt you, why you would think that I would help them." Tony stopped. "I need to know what I did to make you think that, Tim, so that I never—_ever_—" he empathized. "Do it again." Tony glanced at the junior agent out of the corner of his eye and saw that he had Tim's attention. "I get the feeling that we almost lost you." Tony paused because he still had the feeling that they could lose Tim. "I want to make sure that doesn't happen again. Not because of something that I did or something I didn't do."

Tim scrutinized his friend, trying to gauge his sincerity. Tony seemed to actually believe what he was saying.

Tim sighed. He really wasn't in the mood to get into this. He was hurting because of his injuries and he was consumed with worry about Sarah. He had been waiting awhile and no one had come to talk to him yet. He wasn't a stupid man. He knew that the longer it took for someone to come out the worse the news would be. And he was extremely angry. Angry that it took this to for someone to notice. Angry it took Sarah getting badly hurt to make someone care. And jealous that Tony hadn't cared enough to notice anything was wrong when he had been hurt. The guilt came at that thought because it seemed as if Tony had noticed something was wrong.

Tim sighed and slumped in the hard green chair. "I don't know where to start." He said, giving in. It had to be done anyway and if he confessed to the senior agent about what had been going on, then Tony could deal with everything else and let Tim concentrate on his sister.

"The beginning is usually the best place to start."

So Tim started at the beginning. He told how it started out, how he went to Gibbs, everything that happened and everything in between, making sure to leave nothing out. Including Abby's part. As Tim finished, he glanced at his friend and saw a look like thunder on Tony's face and shifted uneasily. He couldn't help but wonder if Tony thought as Gibbs did. Did he think that Tim should expect this kind of stuff?

"Tim…" Tony breathed out shaking his head. "Gibbs knew about this and didn't do anything?!" Tony asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe that his Boss could do that. Tony found it hard to understand how Gibbs could put a case over the safety of one of his agents. One of his _children_. Yes, this case was a bad one, but that wasn't an excuse!

"He never gave me a chance to tell him." Tim admitted quietly. "He just told me to suck it up and do my job. That I had to expect stuff like this." Tim paused. "Especially me." He added with quiet bitterness.

Tony jumped up, unable to be still any longer. "_Especially_ you!?" He almost shouted. "Of all the…" He stopped, to angry to continue.

Three things happened at that moment. A doctor in scrubs and a lab coat came into the waiting room. "Family of Sarah McGee?" He called in a quiet voice.

Before Tim and Tony could acknowledge him, though, Gibbs came bursting into the room, and not too far behind, two metro cops.

~NCIS~

Tobias sat at a stop light and wearily ran a hand over his face, trying to process what his senior agent had just told him. "What makes you think this is true?" Was what first came out of his mouth. That wasn't what he meant to say to say. He knew his senior agent well enough that Ron wouldn't have even thought about coming to Tobias without complete belief that he was right, but questions had to be asked, even though Tobias knew it would only put Ron on the defensive. "Did McGee come out and tell you that this was what was happening? Did Harris and Donnelly admit to this when you confronted them? Did you see anything happen?" Tobias rapid fired the questions as he continued driving when he got a green light.

Ron stiffened. He did not like where this was going. "Well, no." He had to admit. "I didn't see anything and no one said anything." He said reluctantly. "Not in so many words, anyway."

Tobias nodded. "How did you even come to this conclusion?" He questioned. He was starting to get angry at Ron as the ramifications of what his senior agent was telling him were becoming clear.

Ron started to pick at a piece of lint on his pant leg. "Well, there have been…rumors." He said, suddenly aware how weak it all sounded. "At our office." He clarified.

"Rumors?" Tobias asked. "What rumors?" He shook his head. "I haven't heard any rumors."

Ron sighed. "Well, you wouldn't, would you?" Ron pointed out. No one would gossip with the boss, especially about something like this. If he had heard the rumors, Tobias would have been obligated to investigate and that meant questioning everyone who had spread the rumors. No one wanted that. What if they were wrong or had gotten taken way out of proportion? Everyone who had participated could have been brought up on charges or fired.

Tobias nodded, seeing his reasoning. "But you heard the rumors?" He asked in slight confusion.

Ron heard what he was really asking and answered. "I'm still one of them, you see." He said, hesitantly. "Besides, no one thought it mattered anyway, because no one thought I'd get…" Ron trailed off.

"Involved." Tobias finished for him, aware of the reputation that Ron had.

Ron shrugged. "Yeah."

Tobias tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "And you don't think that I—_that someone—_should have been informed about this?!" He shouted.

Ron started to open his mouth but Tobias cut him off. "Before someone got hurt!" Tobias didn't give his agent a chance to answer just carried on. "If you'd been more concerned about protecting McGee from harm instead of protecting his 'feelings' then we might not be on the way to the hospital because someone messed with his car!" Tobias shook his head. "What made you think that you could handle this yourself?!" Tobias pulled into the hospital parking lot and started to look for a parking space. "

"The policy for this kind of thing states that their direct superior is the one to responsible for the initial confrontation." Ron answered. "I am their direct superior. It was my responsibility to rein them in until formal channels could be gone through." He didn't tell his boss that he McGee hadn't wanted him to get involved and probably wouldn't have done anything about it.

Tobias shook his head. "I can't wait to hear what Gibbs is going to say about this." He said with a laugh. There was no joy in the sound. Tobias parked the car and got out. Tobias clenched his hands together tightly. He could have cheerfully wrung his agent's neck for putting him in this position!

Considering how angry his boss was, Ron thought it would be prudent to keep his mouth shut. The walk into the hospital was spent in tense silence.


End file.
